Looking at the figure before me, a strange feeling arose.
I had blacked out for a brief moment—right before that grotesque banquet I thought I would be forced to share with him. Yet now, after only blinking for a few seconds, all the dishes were gone.
My breathing was still uneven, my heart pounding fast, my mind hazy—as if I had just awakened from a long sleep.
Everything seems… fine. How long was I out?I pondered briefly before looking back at him.
"I'm… fine. Did something just happen?" I scanned my surroundings, trying to rely on my memory to find any inconsistencies.
"…Nothing much. You only just witnessed Black Heaven," he replied after a short pause, then added,"You nearly swallowed it whole. All that's left is to harmonize it with your core."
He raised his hand toward me, smiling faintly as he looked at me—seemingly amused.
"…Black Heaven? Did I really see that?" I asked doubtfully.The man fell silent, merely lifting both hands in a gesture of ignorance.
"…Alright then. So all I have to do is integrate it into my core, right? But I don't even know how to do that—nor do I know what Black Heaven actually is."I asked in confusion, staring at the carefree figure before me.
To be honest, he was still far too suspicious. The way he spoke—starting one sentence and dropping the other half—gave off strong villain vibes.
"Don't look at me like that. You're still doubting me?" the wraith guardian asked teasingly, his tone anything but serious.
"Heh heh, haven't you ever heard the saying, 'The dead never lie'?" he joked, gesturing at himself after noticing my disapproving gaze.
"…The saying is 'The dead cannot speak,'" I corrected him."And you're talking way too much for someone who's dead."
"Hm. So—do you want to take something now?" he asked."The thing you originally came here for."
He pointed upward—or perhaps downward, depending on one's perspective.
"Right. Bone Moon—that's it. Are you going to take me there?"I suddenly remembered my original purpose for coming here.
"Ah, right. You said it was in the royal district, didn't you? There's only one royal district here, after all."He clapped his hands, looking enlightened, while I stared at him like he was insane.
Then why didn't he take me there from the beginning?!I questioned inwardly. No—this was my fault for assuming he was normal.
"Alright. Take me there," I said, standing up and stretching to wake myself up, preparing to continue the long journey.
However, my body felt exhausted—stiff, sluggish. My breathing slowed unnaturally, my eyes felt heavy, and a dull pressure weighed on my chest.
Probably the aftereffects of Black Heaven, I thought.
"Looks like you need some rest. Want to lie down comfortably for a bit?"The guardian picked up his lantern, about to leave, but glanced back at me.
"No. I'm fine. This is still manageable for me," I replied, forcing myself onward."Besides, I don't have that much time left."
Remembering that my real body still needed food despite no longer decaying, I pushed myself to keep going.
"Alright, I get it. Stay close—this'll be a bit fast," he said, looking ahead.I followed behind, preparing to run.
But then—
He took two steps.I took two steps.
Then he raised both hands and shouted loudly:
"WELCOME TO THE ROYAL DISTRICT!"
I had to cover my ears from the noise, my face twisting in irritation as I finally realized what had just happened.
"…You mean this place has always been the royal district?" I asked.
He struck a proud pose for some inexplicable reason.
"Isn't this what you've been looking for all along? This place has always been what every living being who comes here seeks. And I brought you here—just as you wished."
I glanced at him, then at my surroundings.Honestly, I couldn't even be sure where the royal district was supposed to be.
I should remember that everything in the original novel is correct—but it isn't omniscient or all-encompassing.
Indeed, in the original story, the protagonists reached the royal district through several different expeditions. The wraith guardians helped, but even they didn't know where it truly was.
"The royal district is a special zone," the guardian said in an eerie, cryptic tone, smiling as if he could read my thoughts."It isn't bound to a single place, position, location, or time. It changes randomly, at random moments. It is free… just like death."
"…Oh. Sounds impressive," I replied flatly."So—are you going to help me find what I need now?"
"…Sounds impressive, sure. But don't you want to hear more about this place?"He sounded genuinely disappointed, like a tour guide denied his role.
"No. Take me where I need to go. That's all," I said coldly.My time was limited, and whatever patience I had left was rapidly collapsing.
"Hmph… follow me."The wraith guardian lifted his lantern and walked into a dark corridor. I followed.
…
The pitch-black corridor was lit by a faint, thread-like light. Bones and fine bone dust were scattered everywhere. Some areas still held chalk markings and dust-covered candles.
We walked until we reached a bottomless, black abyss.
"You still remember how to alter your soul, right?" the guardian asked.I transformed my arm into a pair of scissors in response.
"Good. There are two ways to cross this place," he continued."The first is for the living—absorbing death mana to form a protective mana-core barrier, preventing death energy from contaminating the core. That's what a living being must do when stepping into a death realm."
He paused briefly, then continued.
"The second is for the dead—or half-dead beings like you and me. That is, to transform the soul itself, reinforcing the true core."
As soon as he finished speaking, his entire body collapsed inward, compressing into a small black sphere, wreathed in blue ghostly flames.
"Like this."
I followed suit, becoming a black-and-blue will-o'-the-wisp.
Strange… it's no different from normal transformation, I thought.After all, in soul form, I didn't need limbs or senses to perceive my surroundings.
We descended into the abyss, plunging deep into darkness, slipping past dangers lurking unseen.
…
Two tiny lights pierced through layers of darkness, bypassing massive traps and lethal mechanisms.
Tentacles, disembodied arms, and explosive devices failed to stop us—this place was designed so that only those led by a guardian could pass.
Ahead lay a grand hall, illuminated by torches burning with rose-colored flames.
"We're here," he said as we descended into the central area of the vast hall, its surfaces covered entirely in pitch-black marble.
Landing on the ground, we both returned to our normal forms. He pulled the lantern from his cloak, though it barely illuminated anything.
"So this is the place?" I asked—though I already knew the answer.
The guardian nodded. He tapped the lantern lightly; tiny sparks flew out and drifted in one direction.
Pointing that way, he said,"Over there is what you need. That skull. Don't worry—just go. It's not dangerous."
I hesitated, then looked at him and smiled—a cheerful smile, unlike my usual expression.
"After all, we're strangers… and we each have our own goals, don't we?"
He looked at me and spoke calmly, his voice still carrying that familiar allure.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm a wraith guardian," he continued casually, raising his hands."My duty is simply to guide you. That's all."
My smile faded.
"Oh? You don't understand? Then let me explain."
I reached out and touched him.
Strangely enough—my hand didn't pass through him this time.
"I want to form a pact."